Fire-escape.



I G. W. BROOKS..

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED An. 2 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Patented Aug. 17,1909.

G. W. BROOKS.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 2.190s. 931,031.. Patented Aug. 17,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GEORGE w. BROOKS, or rorEKA, KANSAS.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Application filed April 2, 190a. Seria1 No.4=24,744.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a structure erected outside a building and properly anchored or secured thereto, having platforms at the windows, or other openings, stairways leading from platform to platform, and hand-rails and protecting nettings on the platforms and stairways; my invention residing in the novel arrangement of the supporting columns, the platforms, the stairways, and the rails, as will hereinafter be fully shown.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification and in the description of the drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form, and have shown the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but it is to be understood that the invention itself is not confined to the exact details of those drawings and of that specification, andthat I contemplate changes in form, proportions, material, and arrangement, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire escape built in accordance with the principles of my invention and adapted to windows in the second and third stories of a building. Fig. 2 is a plan view. And Fig. 3 is an end view.

Similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A may represent the wall of a building, and B B the openings forming exits therefrom. I

C, C are columns erected outside the building at a suitable distance therefrom and from each other and having a suitable support, as will hereinafter be explained.

D, D are platforms or balconies supported on said columns, as by means of brackets E, E, and extending from column to column and from said columns to the wall, there being a platform at each story or at each level from which exit is made from the building.

The weight of the platforms is carried by the columns, thoughfor further security the platforms may be, and preferably are, suitably tied or anchored to the wall.

Each end of the platform is extended around the column to the outer side thereof, as indicated at F; and a stairway is built from the extension around one column at one level tothe extension around the other column at the next level, said extensions forming the landings for the stairway, thus forming a seriesof stairways from balcony to balcony outside: the columns, away from the wall, and away from the exit openings, leaving the space between the columns and the wall and next the openings for the floors of the balconies.

H is a hand-rail extending around the ends of the balconies, and I, I represent similar hand-rails extending along the out side of the balconies between the supporting columns and also extendingalong both sides of the stairways. The space under the hand-rails may be closed with netting J, or other suitable material, the same being well known in the art to which my invention relates.

It will be observed that, although in the drawings I have shown only two levels and two flights or'stairs, the same construction may be followed to any desired height by adding the necessary height'to the columns, and the necessary platforms and stairways. All the stairways lead down in the same direction. It will also be noted that the handrails around the ends of the platforms are semi-circular and form continuations from the outside hand-rails of the stairways. It should also be noted that I do not use any spiral stairs, each stair-way tread being of the same width throughout. The importance of these features reside, in part, in the ease and certainty with which a person may follow down over these stair-ways and balconies, without confusion, without climbing down ladders, or through trap-doors, and without danger of falling off or of falling through trap-doors; and these things are of greatly increased importance in considering the escape from the building of crowds of persons, and especially of women and children, in confusion, as in case of fire. The entire passage leads down as certainly as a spiral stairway; and yet without the use of the spirals themselves, which are objectionable on account of their shape. By making the ends semi-circular, I avoid the possibility of the weakerpersons being crowded into corners. placing the supporting columns away from the Wall, I can adapt the platforms to any contour of the wall,

and can avoid irregularities. It is also important that the structure is simple in point good appearance.

from the Wall and from each other and sup ported on the ground, brackets secured to the supporting columns at each level for supporting platforms, a platform at each level supported on said bracketsand extending between said columns and between said columns and the wall and tied tothe Wall and having semi-circular ends extending around to the out-side of said columns respectively, a series of straight Stairways extending from platform to platform outside of the .colinnns and all disposed in the same direction, said platform extensions forming the landings for the stair-ways, and handrails and guards around the ends of the platforms, along each platform from column to column, and along both sides of each stairway; all substantially as set forth.

2. A fire escape comprising the combination with the wall of a building having exitopenin 's on several levels, of two supporting columns outside the wall and spaced apart from the Wall and from each other and supported on the ground, brackets secured to the supporting columns at each level for supporting platforms, a platform at each level supported on said brackets and extending between said columns and between said columns. and the wall and tied to the wall and having semi-circular ends extending around to the outside of said columns respectively, a series of straight stairways extending from platform to platform outside of the columns and all disposed in the same direction, said platform extensions forming the landings for the stairways, and suitable guards around the ends of the platforms, along each platform from column to column, and along both sides of each stairway; all substantially as set forth.

3. A fire escape comprising the combination with the wall of a building having exit openings on several levels, of two supporting columns outside the Wall and spaced apart from the wall and from each other and supported on the ground, brackets secured to the supporting columns at each level for supporting platforms, a plat-form at each level supported on said brackets and extending between said columns and between said columns and the wall and tied to the Wall and having ends extending around to the outside of said columns respectively, a series of straight stairways extending from platform to platform outside of the columns and disposed in the same direction, said platform extensions forming the landings for the stair-ways, and suitable guards around the platforms and along the Stairways; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of witnesses.

GEORGE W. BROOKS.

'lVitnesses HAZEL D. RICHARDSON, JOHN A. 

